Chapter 8- The Killer Behind The Mask
"On tue un homme, on est un assassin.
On tue des millions d'hommes, on est un conquérant.
On les tue tous, on est un dieu."
-JEAN ROSTAND, Pensées d'un biologiste
Translation :
"Kill one man, and you are a murderer.
Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror.
Kill them all, and you are a god."
This Chapter's Theme song:
The rolling stones – "Paint it black"
The fortunate tortoise hotel was a glamorous place, the reception area alone had fine silk resting over marbled flooring and a golden chandelier towering above beautifully carved stairs leading to the second floor. The sound of the group's footsteps varied despite the exact same surface as they headed up to the princess's room. It took them a short while to arrive at Shale's penthouse suite and upon arrival, the room's visitors didn't fail to notice the three samurai who were passed out, a bottle of sake toppled over on the table that was crushed between the three. Rather than remark upon the oddity, both Kamen and Kakashi ignored it, to the genin's slight dismay.
The young princess sat down gruffly upon a large comfy looking chair that had been purposefully placed in front of a smallish desk, cluttered by several papers, books and maps, "So then, shinobi of Konoha, when will we be departing for my home?"
Kakashi stepped forwards, letting the rest of his group hang back as he bowed slightly, "That is entirely up to Shale-sama. We are entirely at your service, but first, would you not like to confirm we are indeed who we say we are?"
The young princess sighed irately, nodding before outstretching one of her tiny arms, in which was placed a sealed scroll that she proceeded to carelessly break open. The young girl's cerulean eyes scanned the paper with practised ease before tossing it over to Lisandra, who struggled to catch the flying object, "It does seem to be in order but double check it for me would you? Now then, I'll need some time to prepare before we can leave but it won't take more than ten minutes once those three louts are up. I assume you've already got a route planned for us?"
The white-haired scarecrow, finding it harder and harder to maintain his diplomatic act when faced with such an uncaring and peculiar attitude, pulled out another scroll from one of the pouches of his vest, unfurling it before her. The map was focused around the land of wind and of fire, a twisting and turning red line heading from two red dots with black words inscribed above them, Otafuku Gai and Ren'ai Fuun. One of the young girl's eyebrows rose as she switched her gaze from the map before her to the group of people stood awkwardly in her room, her form relaxing back in her throne-like chair, "You mean to take us through the land of rain? Would that not add several days to our trip? Comparatively we could take a straight line through the land of rivers, could we not?"
Kakashi flinched slightly, though only Kamen noticed it. With how the young princess had been acting, Kakashi had obviously not been expecting the young girl to be so perceptive and that had left him unprepared. Shale was, after all, nothing less than the daughter of a noble of the land of wind, who were known for being shrewd if nothing else.
This fact had never been as evident as in present times, when most missions from the capital or elsewhere across the land of wind were being redirected away from Sunagakure itself. The land of wind's Daimyo did not think little of Suna shinobi, rather he grew afeared of them and their influence. Before the current Daimyo had taken his seat in the capital's castle, Sunagakure had grown so powerful that it started to act out on its own, ignoring the Daimyo's decrees. But now the village was a shadow of its former self, the third great war had made a big enough dent in its forces and the betrayal of a handful of its most powerful shinobi in the following years had not been kind to it either. So desperate was the fourth Kazekage that his men had begun to raid surrounding villages and countries that had once been its source of income, there was that and the fact that Rasa had begun to collaborate with a minor hidden village that had recently popped up across the continent.
Kakashi quickly caught himself, straightening back up before looking down at the princess with his single black eye, "My lady, you must understand that there has been a lot of talk of missing-nin and a high concentration of reported caravans being attacked by bandits. It would be much more prudent to pass through the land of Rain which, despite Amegakure's current isolationist policy, is much safer-"
Shale's eyes suddenly narrowed pointedly at the white-haired shinobi before her, her pristine lips curving downwards, "Your contract is that of a B-ranked mission is it not? We provided the pay for a mission that might involve enemy shinobi and expect to get the correct service. I don't expect you to cut corners, Hatake-san."
Kakashi wanted to curse under his breath, this brat was much sharper than he had originally given her credit for… In the back of his mind a little insurgent part blamed his Hokage for this situation, but the rest of his mind beat it down like it had been thoroughly trained to, "Of course, I was simply trying to avoid putting my lady into any unnecessary danger-" "Yes, well we will pass through the land of rivers and that is final. Now get out while I prepare for the trip. It should take about a week, correct? Good. Now out!"
The young whirlwind of a girl quickly jumped from her seat and shoved the group of shinobi out of her quarters, leaving them to stand slightly dumbfounded in the Hotel's corridor. Kamen was the first to recover from the girl's peculiar attitude, "Well… That was certainly something… I've never met a noble that was so…" "Crazy?" "I was going to say erratic, Naruto… You'll find out soon enough that there are plenty of crazy nobles out there… Just not quite like this one…"
It wasn't long before Shale's three samurai guards stepped out of the room and took their positions around the doorway, waiting for their princess to depart. Kamen was already beginning to think how much of a pain working with Samurai was going to be.
Kamen had nothing in particular against Samurai, especially those from the land of Iron. How could he after all that Mifune and his soldiers had done for the five great nations at the beginning of the war, going so far as to sacrifice a vast majority of his men to give them a chance to take down Madara and the Juubi… Those lives had been wasted as the attempt failed, but perhaps it mattered little, those that didn't have the skills strongly tied to the role of Shinobi perished either way in the end. Well, except perhaps one.
No, it wasn't the fact that these people were Samurai that bothered Kamen. It was rather their eyes that made his gut register just exactly what these people were. The three guards wore heavy yellow plated armour that covered almost every inch of their body save the inside of their arms, rear of their legs and their faces, which were instead covered by cloths that had been stretched from one side of their rounded steel helmets to the other.
Three pairs of piercing eyes were the only things that were not concealed on these people and they expressed only two things: arrogance and death. Those eyes reminded the dark-haired time traveller far too much of his own, though that time had long passed… At least that was what he told himself.
Naruto shifted his attention from his teammates who he had been 'chatting' with, as in he talked and they listened listlessly, to the people who had just entered the hallway. The young genin's bright blue eyes lit up with glee as he spotted the sheaths that rested at the Samurai's hips, "Ne, Ne, Kamen-sensei how come that one has two swords?"
Kamen sweat dropped as he glanced back at a depressed Kakashi, the man disliked being asked questions and yet when his students asked someone else, he couldn't stand it.
Bringing his attention back to Naruto and the Samurai with two swords, the twenty-five-year-old veteran brought a hand up to frame his chin in thought.
He had once learnt a considerable amount about kenjutsu, and even wielded a sword for a while. Why use up chakra or the effort needed to wield a kunai on Zetsu fodder when a katana did the trick ten times as nicely. Of course, that had been before the fifth year of the war, when Madara had begun supplying his infinite army with armour and weapons. This of course meant that digging through his memories took a short while.
Kamen hoped that sifting through his memories would get easier the more he did it, but realistically, he doubted it as they continued to grow foggier by the day, "I believe she practises a form of Kenjutsu called Nitojutsu, the method of wielding two swords. It is slightly surprising though; most Samurai tend to avoid it because it's seen as being more in line with the Shinobi arts. In fact several ninja swordsmen of the mist utilise this style of fighting, some of their swords being designed specifically for it, such as Hiramekarei, Kabutowari and Kiba, not that I'd call Kabutowari a set of blades… Kumo has also been know to practise Nitojutsu, instilling it in quite a few of its Kenjutsu users, mainly because it pairs well with lighting release."
All the time that Kamen had been speaking to Naruto, all ears had been on him, a recurring theme whenever the black clad veteran spoke, not that he necessarily noticed.
The Samurai with the two swords shifted awkwardly, eyes darting from side to side as though they wanted to say something but held their tongue. A slight glance towards one of the other Samurai was all the person needed to settle down, resuming their cold and somewhat empty stare, though perhaps with less intensity than before.
Ten minutes passed in relative peace and quiet, what with Naruto's curiosity satisfied. Though him confusing Kiba Inuzuka for a pair of swords had been rather priceless, at least for many of the gathered people. Kamen didn't like to think of team eight, of their young innocent versions running around… Not when he knew what the future would bring… Had brought…
At last the young princess stepped out of her quarters alongside her temporary guardian. Gone was the messy pink and green dress, instead she wore somewhat tight black clothes with a travel cloak over the top which prioritised ease of movement and comfort over fashion, "Well? Are we going or are we going?"
And with that Shale lead the way, though she was swiftly caught up to by her guard. Without even exchanging words it was decided that the Samurai would be at the front of the formation surrounding Lisandra and Shale while team seven and their plus one hung at the back and sides of the haphazard diamond formation.
Kakashi matched his pace to those around him while still making sure he could just about hold a somewhat discreate conversation with Kamen, "So, you know your swords then?"
Kamen threw a glance back at his sensei from another time, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, "I was quite attracted to the idea of wielding one for a time, but I don't think I would be any good with a sword these days."
Kakashi treaded down upon the dirt path of one of the main streets of Otofuku Gai, his single exposed eye gazing down at the small dust tornadoes left behind by the heavy footsteps of the Samurai up front, "You seemed to have taken more than a passing interest, not many know much about the Seven ninja Swordsmen Of the Mist these days, even less about their blades which are considered Kiri treasures."
A slight frown marred Kamen's brow, though Kakashi couldn't see it from his position at the rear, not that he was particularly trying to spot it. Kamen didn't really know where this was going but so far, each time Kakashi had seemed curious about Kamen's knowledge, the conversation seemed to turn into an interrogation, "Well, you might say I had the privilege to see some of them in action during the Third Great Shinobi War… I can tell you that I didn't feel as much admiration nor intrigue towards the blades and their wielders after that. But why are you so curious Kakashi? A fan yourself?"
Kamen wasn't lying, he had had the privilege to see all the seven swordsmen of the mist from the third great shinobi war's generation in action… It's just it had been during the fourth great shinobi war, as reincarnated slaves.
The last part might have been said with a tone laced with sarcasm, but Kamen was in fact curious about what Kakashi thought about the swordsmen from mist. They hadn't had much chance to talk about it, neither after defeating Zabuza for the first time, nor after their second run in with the mist swordsmen.
Kakashi's eyes flickered away from Kamen's backwards gaze, something that wasn't missed by the midnight blue eyed man. The one eyed ex-Anbu wasn't sure how to say what he wanted to say, after all his information wasn't confirmed in any way, but he had a habit of picking up titbits of news here and there… One of them not being very encouraging about a certain place in the land of rivers, a place that they would certainly have to pass by, "No, no… I'm not a fan… it's just that I heard a… Disturbing rumour…"
Kamen's eyebrow rose, Kakashi's attitude was beyond peculiar. What could make the usually laid-back man so hesitant? Kamen tried to think of something but couldn't put his finger on anything, so he pushed onwards, "A rumour? About what?"
The sound of the bustling town was now only a background noise as the group passed its border, entering the slightly darkened forest. The genin were suddenly much more on edge, perhaps still holding some sour memories from their encounter with Zabuza and the demon brothers. A sigh passed Kakashi's lips as he steeled his resolve, "The reason I wanted to know what you knew about the seven swordsmen of the mist is because one of them has supposedly taken over the Katabami gold mine in the land of rivers. Not even a week ago, a group calling themselves the Kurosuki family set up there and I can't be sure, but their rule isn't one that's welcome."
Kamen suddenly had a memory flash through his mind like a bolt of lightning, Raiga Kurosuki. The man's crazed eyes and dark greenish hair as well as the young boy he had travelled with, Ranmaru. There was also Karashi and Grandma Sancho, with the Curry of life shop. A slightly fond smile crossed Kamen's face as he thought of that place, but it didn't last for long.
If their current group encountered the Kurosuki family now… The changes to the future would be minimal but… Kiba, the twin lightning fangs of the mist… If he could take them and keep them safe wouldn't that avoid a lot of trouble later- No… Kamen refused to make an infinite number of his selves repeat this hellish disaster, it would end with him and his younger self, "I'm not sure what you're so worried about Kakashi, your mission isn't to fight this Kurosuki family, besides what are the chances that you run into them?"
Kakashi frowned, it would leave a bad taste in his mouth if he just let Raiga and his thugs keep oppressing a town when he would have the chance to stop it… But Kamen was right, their mission was to protect Shale and that was it… Still…
The trip to the border of the land of fire was uneventful but surprisingly fast. It was impressive how three samurai wearing heavy armour, an old woman and a young princess could move so swiftly.
However once the group of ten had passed the border there was a sort of domino affect in terms of tension. Kakashi was the first to be on edge, which was noticed by Kamen, then the genin who picked up on the subtle changes of their unofficial sensei and finally the Samurai who could practically smell the anxiety emanating off the children.
When the group finally spotted a lone building off in the distance, Shale spoke out, almost unwittingly snapping the highly strung tension that invaded the air, "The Curry of life shop? I could settle with a belly full of curry right now!"
Kamen sweat dropped at Shale's return to her nonchalant attitude, however his whole body suddenly stiffened when an ear-piercing shout echoed out from within the confines of the small wooden hut, the wind carrying it past their forms. The whole group suddenly sped up; their fatigue long forgotten as Kamen spotted a tinge of worry upon the young princess's face.
The Samurai were the first through the sliding door, poised to strike with their Katana, though from the rear the shinobi could see them visibly slouch at the peculiar scene that greeted them, "Oh my-my, so many young people coming to my shop in one day, how unusual."
Kamen could just about see over the broad armoured shoulders of one of the Samurai and he couldn't help but falter in his stride at what he saw. A young boy dressed in green and orange with a Konoha headband wrapped around his waste with a bowl cut and rather thick eyebrows was stuffing his face full of some sort of black curry, if it could even be called that with all the peculiar ingredients sticking out of it. Kakashi was the first to speak, though his tone sounded almost afraid, "One of Guy's students? What are you doing out- no, wait…? If you're here, that means-" "WHERE IS MY PRECIOUS STUDENT?!"
At that a green blur came barrelling through the crowd of gathered shinobi and samurai, skidding to a halt before the young green clad genin. It was unnerving for the Samurai and genin to see a bigger clone of the young genin appear, clad in almost identical spandex clothing, though they were only more disturbed when the two embraced, streams of tears coming out of their eyes, "GUY-SENSEI!" "LEE! I HAD THOUGHT SOME HARM MIGHT HAVE COME TO YOU!" "I AM FINE GUY-SENSEI, THANKS TO THESE TWO WONDERFUL PEOPLE!"
Kamen almost wanted to wince at the loudness of their voices but thought better to interrupt the pair as they profusely thanked who Kamen knew were Grandma Sancho and her son Karashi.
It didn't take long for Guy to notice Kakashi even though he was trying his best to sink into the woodworks and hide behind a little orange book which he had retrieved from his pocket, "If it isn't my eternal rival! Kakashi, what might you be doing out here? And it seems you are on a mission, would it not be better to be preparing your fine young students for the chunin exams, just as I am mine? Surely you don't wish to lose to me once again, I believe we're at 47 to 48 now are we not?"
Kakashi peaked out from behind his copy of make-out paradise, a listless look tinting his black eye, and though it had seemed like he hadn't been listening he answered, "You mean 48 to 48, you're forgetting our bout in Kusa."
The tall green man almost slithered his way into Kakashi's personal space and slapped him on the back, laughing heartily all the while, "It would seem you are as sharp as ever, my eternal rival! Hmm, but who might this be?"
Kamen felt slightly awkward under the curious piercing black gaze of Guy, but still answered, "I am Kamen Sakamoto, A pleasure to meet you… Guy?"
Guy flashed from Kakashi to Kamen, who had to resist the battle-hardened instinct to stab him in the gut, "Ha! But would you not be a fan of Kakashi? You look just like him when he was in Anbu!"
Both Sasuke and Sakura took note of the fact that Guy had just stated, Naruto did as well though he did so in an off-handed manner. The young blonde was not one to care much for the past, instead focusing on the future, namely his position as Hokage, "Come on Guy, he's with us as sanctioned by the Hokage himself. Instead why don't you tell me where the rest of your team is? Surely you wouldn't be showing favouritism to young Lee over there?"
Another guttural laugh echoed out of Guy as he stepped away from Kamen, apparently both Jonin had noticed the dark-haired man's aversion to physical contact, "Of course not! Me and Lee were simply doing a little Marathon, though both Neji and Tenten thought it better to train on their own… They said that my methods did not suit them…"
Sad tears had started to build in the corner of the man's eyes, but they were quickly wiped away dramatically. The green clad man was suddenly interrupted by a slight cough, coming from the small elderly woman, "Yes well, my name is Grandma Sancho, and this is my curry shop. Now are all of you going to stand around letting all the cold in or are you going to sit down and order something?"
It was only then that everyone noticed that Lee was already sat at one of the tables, ordering twelves plates of the bubbling black curry of life. Kamen almost wanted to stop the boy, but a very distant memory from his youth reminded him that it had been a very delicious curry.
The group started to sit around different tables, not one being big enough for them all. In a strange twist of fate Kamen found himself sat at a table with Shale and two of her samurai. Meanwhile Lee, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were all sat at the same table and Kamen could just about make out their conversation, namely Lee admiring Sakura's beauty and Naruto attempting to divert the conversation as best he could. Though Kakashi was out of his sight he could feel his slightly warm presences behind one of the wooden partings put up for each customer's privacy, with him was one of the samurai, Guy and Lisandra, "You seem slightly uncomfortable… Kamen-san, wasn't it?"
Kamen's focus directed itself towards the young long-haired princess, her dirty blond locks tied up in a haphazard ponytail. The two Samurai guards on either side of him shifted slightly, the one with two swords keeping an especially close eye on the time traveller, "Yes, you are quite sharp Princess. Though do not take it as a lack of respect towards yourself or your bodyguards. I am merely worried about staying in one place for too long."
Cerulean eyes glistened slightly as they scanned the masked man's face, true Shale was indeed perceptive for a girl of her age, but Kamen was above her in every possible way. Which was why she settle for the answer that he gave, believing it whole heartedly to be true. Kamen almost felt bad managing to pass off a lie with such ease, yet at the same time it was a nice change from Kakashi, who was sharper than a kunai. In truth Kamen was rife with inner conflict at the moment, the part of himself wanting to change the future had grown tenfold in the short time that he had been with team seven, though it did not yet outweigh the time traveller's much more rational side.
Karashi hovered around the room, going from table to table with practised ease as he deftly placed a plate of curry before each person. Finally, when there was a plate set out before each person, a pervasive silence settled. The black bubbling mess of spices and strange ingredients was anything but appetising and yet as soon as Lee and Guy dug into the substance with an inordinate amount of Gusto, swiftly followed by their proclamations of how good it was, each person slowly guided a spoon into their mouths.
The reactions from each person was varied, from passing out to practically spitting flames from their mouths. Kamen couldn't help but laugh as he watched one of the Samurai freeze on the spot, legs crossed and eyes shadowed, the image reminding him of the tale of the "Standing Death of Benkei", a story passed down through generations of Samurai since the warring states era.
The samurai with two swords stood up on shaky legs and drew their weapons, struggling to point them at Karashi who simply cowered with both hands raised, "Y-you! What h-have y-you done? Y-you poisoned the princess!"
The voice that came out from under the helmet was strained and muffled, yet Kamen could tell that it was that of a woman, no matter how she tried to conceal it. Before she could slice Karashi's head off however, the female samurai collapsed back into her seat.
Kakashi peaked his head over the parting just in time to see Kamen calmly finish off his plate of curry, his pale skin slightly pinker than usual. It was strange how the nostalgic flavour of the black goop almost brought a tear to the dark haired man's eyes, as said orbs glistened into a sort of mild shade of sapphire blue, "How the hell can you eat that stuff without flinching Kamen?"
Said man looked up to see the white-haired scarecrow slumped over the partition, the visible bits of his skin as pink as Sakura's hair. A quick glance revealed that the only people still conscious after having eaten the curry of life were Lee, Naruto, Guy, Kakashi and himself. It was ridiculous how such a food could have such varying degrees of affects. Guy, Kakashi and himself could be explained by the fact that they were well trained shinobi, resistant to even some deadly poisons. Even Naruto's survival to this toxic stuff could be explained by the nine tails, but Lee? Perhaps it was his sheer strength of will.
Or maybe this curry really was the curry of life? Kamen could feel that his chakra was slightly more stimulated than usual, in fact he felt as though he had enough energy to run a marathon. Kamen hadn't felt this good since before the war had started, "This stuff is just really good, I guess? I'll have another serving if you don't mind Grandma Sancho!"
The sound of the old lady chuckling loudly as Lee, Naruto and Guy both echoed the time traveller's sentiment was the soothing kind, one that made you feel as though she actually was their grandmother, which was probably where the nickname came from, "All of you young ones are welcome to stay the night as long as you don't mind sleeping on some pillows, those others probably aren't going to be up by the morning anyways!"
Grandma Sancho's proposition was swiftly accepted given that even with Naruto's shadow clones, the trip to the closest hotel was still a long one. Not surprisingly when all the unconscious members of the group had been set into adequate sleeping positions, both Lee and Naruto went out like a pair of lights themselves.
Though Kakashi and Kamen were wishing to do the same, Guy would have none of it and had managed to embroil the pair into a game of Tarot. The game itself was rather simple and could be played from two up to five, though it was rarely played in the land of fire, instead shogi was a favourite there. Tarot was rather more a speciality of the land of earth, "Drat! It would seem our youthful friend here has beaten us again!"
Kakashi was sat with a hand scratching the top of his head trying to understand just how Kamen kept winning, no matter what he or Guy did. The white-haired scarecrow stopped short of using his sharingan to check if his opponent was using a genjutsu, and that was only thanks to Guy calling it quits with a, "Right then, that makes it 0-19 my temporary rival!"
Kamen awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he threw a glance out of the nearest window, "Have we really played nineteen matches? It feels like we only started playing a few seconds ago…"
It wasn't new for Kamen to be so at ease in other people's company, he had been able to relax around a great many people once upon a time. But this was the first time in a long time that he felt his guard begin to melt away, maybe it was just something about Guy's honesty that set his mind at ease, just as Lee's had once as well.
All three men settled onto their makeshift beds, each still glowing from the warmth of the curry of life. Slowly but steadily Kamen's mind went blank as he stared off into the ceiling, his eyelids softly shutting upon themselves as the flavours that still danced upon the tip of his tongue lulled him to sleep.
Elsewhere, within the darkness of the Katabami gold mine, dozens of shadows gathered. A single, hunched back figure stood before them all, lightning crackling all around it. The room was dead silent as the person at the centre of attention rose both arms up into the air as though he were calling out to the starry sky, "Brothers and sisters! This place is rife with sinners! ... But we must not feel anger or hatred towards these poor souls! Just like the town's council, they need our light to guide them! And should any of them refused to be guided… Should they refuse to repent like those who have come before them! … Then it is with heart wrenching sadness that we must send them off to the next word, to meet with our lord and be cleansed by his light!" "Raiga-sama! Show us the way! Guide us with your brilliant light so that we may not be lost!"
The crowd gathered under the cover of darkness cheered towards their leader, who was clutching at his face, a look of despair painting its surface as tears ran out of his eyes, "We have faced off against Greed and won! The taxes of the vicious Daimyo are no more! By putting all on the same level, we have crushed Envy! Pride is no more! The townsfolk no longer have any worldly possessions to be prideful of! Their hearts are no longer afflicted by Lust as we have taken away their women!"
The crowd before Raiga grew closer and closer to ecstasy at each word the missing-nin uttered, however the ruckus suddenly cut of when lightning began bouncing around the rocky clearing they had gathered in, "And yet! … And yet, brothers and sisters, gluttony, sloth and wrath! These three final sins still plague the land! Tomorrow we shall burn gluttony at the stake! The so-called blasphemous curry of life shop shall be no more!"
The cheers and hollers echoed out within the valley of the Katabami gold mine, villagers cowering in their homes as the cries passed them by like the shrill cries of ghosts.
Despite what was going on without Kamen's knowledge, his sleep was uninterrupted and peaceful. Not a nightmare dared disturb his rest, not a sombre thought invaded his mind. Instead his sleep was graced by distant and faded memories of three children, laughing together as they walked behind a tall man who simply looked back, the corner of his eye crinkling from his concealed smile.
The dark-haired time traveller awoke from his slumber feeling more rested than he had in as long as he could remember, even though he probably only slept five or six hours. He was the first of the group of twelve to rise, greeted by the sweet yet spicy scent that hung in the air, "One and Two and One and Two."
The soft sound of Grandma Sancho's voice coming from the kitchen was blended together with the sound of a wooden ladle hitting the side of a large metal pot. Kamen absently drifted towards the counter which separated the kitchen from the area currently filled with sleeping customers.
He settled soundlessly upon a stool at the counter and yet Grandma Sancho still heard him, turning around to nod at the dark-haired veteran, "Sleep, well did you? I'm sorry I couldn't provide better accommodation for you young uns… Me and Karashi had been planning on renovating the place once we got the funds… Recent events have made that a little difficult however."
A slight wave of guilt passed over Kamen, but he got over it quickly, feigning ignorance, "Oh? Are you not getting many customers these days?"
The repetitive and soothing sound of the elderly woman stirring her curry suddenly halted. Sancho's shoulders sagged as her eyes stared sadly into the golden-brown liquid that filled her pot, "That's a part of it… But it's all because of that goddamned Kurosuki family!"
The sound of the young war veteran and the old woman had apparently woken some other occupants of the room, one of which was Shale who had walked right up next to Kamen and settled down upon a stool, "Why don't you-" "Hire some ninja? No one has the money since those crooks arrived and pillaged everything in sight. We sent a missive to three Daimyo but never received a response from any of them…"
Kamen threw a glance at the young dirty blonde-haired girl. The sad look that crossed Shale's cerulean eyes and her small hand that clutched at the fabric of her black clothing out of frustration, both of these things caused a twinge in Kamen's heart. For a second Kamen could have sworn that the child's eyes were light green and that her hair bore a tint of pink, but he blinked, and the illusion was gone.
Kamen would never know if what came next had been his mind slipping into madness or simply that he had still been half asleep, but at the time he couldn't take back his words, "It's your decision my lady, but I'm certain that team seven and your samurai could handle these thugs with ease."
Grandma Sancho turned fully from her pot, a slight frown gracing her brow, "We have nothing to pay you."
The blunt statement was true, and as much as Shale or anyone else wanted to help, in this world none of them could act without affecting the people who were above them. Well except perhaps Kamen, "Perhaps you have nothing now, but Katabami gold mine's potential is infinite. I'm certain that if your village should accept to set up a trade route between both Ren'ai Fuun and the hidden leaf village, the trade-off will be perfectly acceptable."
Both Shale and Grandma Sancho pause for a second, trying to weigh the pros and cons of the deal.
If Katabami set up such a trade route it wouldn't only bring in the trade from Ren'ai Fuun and Konoha, it would do much more. Both parties involved would create a route which would have caravans and their shinobi guards passing through on a regular basis, clearing a safe passage between the land of Wind and Fire. One such passage between the two countries has been missing so far. This would mean that the entirety of the land of fire and of wind would have a safe trade route between each other, in turn bringing more caravans and shinobi, which means more foot traffic for Katabami and more profit. Either way all three participants are winners.
Kakashi who was pretending to still be asleep had been listening in on the conversation and wasn't quite sure what to think. From what the white-haired scarecrow knew of Kamen, it was entirely plausible that he had thought out meticulously the pros and cons of helping Katabami gold mine now rather than later.
Contrary to what people might think, the citizens of Katabami were at their most desperate right now. The longer they waited to help them, the more they would be engulfed in despair and be resigned to their fate. So, acting now would gain them the most recognition, not to mention all the political and economic boons it would bring if they accepted the deal.
But there were more than just a few things nagging at Kakashi's mind. "I'm not sure what you're so worried about Kakashi, your mission isn't to fight this Kurosuki family, besides what are the chances that you run into them?" "I'm certain that team seven and your samurai could handle these thugs with ease."
He hadn't included himself in either of those phrases… Not only that but Kamen's words and actions all contradicted each other; he was -in short- a mess. Kakashi had already seen the veteran's darker side.
It was as though Kamen refused to take action when he wasn't directly confronted with a situation, but he couldn't hold himself back when push came to shove. He didn't want to intervene, but why? There was the ever-present possibility that he was just a coward… But the last Hatake couldn't quite convince himself of that, despite not having anything concrete to prove the opposite.
"OI! If you filthy sinners don't come out right now, we'll burn this place to the goddamn ground!"
Grandma Sancho swore under her breath, but before the last syllable even left her lip Kamen, Kakashi and Guy -two of which had seemed to be fast asleep not a few seconds ago- were now positioned at the windows of the shop of the curry of life, "I can see three of them, my eternal rival, are there any more hidden somewhere?"
Kakashi raised his nose into the air and closed his eyes. Though his nose wasn't as good as an Inuzuka, Kakashi didn't lag that far behind them thanks to his mastery of enhancing it with chakra, "I can smell two others, each on either side of the building." "Make that four others, there are two more behind the building with the wind blowing their scents away."
Kakashi flashed a look at Kamen who was staring intently at the people outside. Neither the frown that marred his brow nor the slight tremor of his hand was missed by Kakashi, but the ex-Anbu didn't think now was the time to have a pity party.
The samurai who were now awake closed in on the entrance, not caring to try and be quiet, and before any of the Shinobi could stop them, the trio burst out of the shop, the sliding door slamming open within the eerie silence, "Lady Shale of Ren'ai Fuun, daughter of Ozymandias the great is currently staying at this establishment! Should you dare to threaten her or the people who have shown her their hospitality, then you will face our blades!"
The front samurai's words were emphasised by the sound of metal scraping against metal as their katana were drawn from their hilts. Two of the men before them, who were clad in all black begun to laugh ominously.
Kamen couldn't help but feel as though a stone was weighing down his stomach at that laugh. One of the chakra signatures out front that had seemed exactly the same as the rest suddenly flared and was replaced with two other, much more ominous signatures. Kamen turned to warn Kakashi only for the white-haired man to nod, "I know… I can feel it too. The bastard obviously likes to make an entrance."
At this point everyone was gathered around the windows, peering out at the scene before them, "You know who that is, don't you Kamen?"
Said man swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded. Perhaps Raiga had been defeated by the very blonde that stood a few steps behind him, but there had been a big difference between the Naruto of then and the Naruto of now.
At that time, Naruto had the Rasengan and had been through more than his fair share of dangerous fights. He had also had Neji's byakugan backing him up… Right now, there was no way that they could counteract Raiga's hidden mist jutsu, nor could they avoid Ranmaru's eyes…
"What the hell is going on sensei?"
Kakashi looked back at his sleepy students, giving them an eye smile that didn't show a hint of the worry he felt, "Don't worry my cute little genin, there are just some bad guys that your super sensei is going to take care of!"
Naruto sweat dropped at his cheesy sensei, but before he could blurt out a retort of some kind, his attention was drawn back outside, "But who might this be? Samurai in the land of rivers, a little far from home, aren't we? I'm sorry if my brothers and sisters offended you in some way. But you really shouldn't get in the way of the missionaries of GOD!"
A thunderous clap exploded out from where the voice came and suddenly everything seemed to slow down. A heavily armoured body came crashing through the wall of the shop, splinters exploding everywhere, Kamen was frozen in place as he watched Kakashi use some sort of wind Jutsu to protect everyone from the medley of shrapnel -made up of broken wall and armour- that would have rained over them.
Kamen hated what was going on, he could have reacted to that… Should have… And yet his feet stayed rooted to the ground. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his body and yet the more he felt it the less he could move. He was barely able to bring a hand up to clutch at the pain that blossomed in his chest.
"Masato!"
Shale was slumped over the body of the person who had crashed through the wall, tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to cover the hole that had pierced his abdomen.
Kamen barely managed to see both Guy and Kakashi rush outside, swiftly followed by Lee and team seven as the sound of steel meeting steel resounded outside.
The young veteran couldn't take it anymore as his knees crashed to the ground, his ragged breathing tearing its way out of his throat like burning magma.
The metallic smell that tainted the air pierced his nostrils as he barely managed to hold back the gagging.
The whole world seemed to spin as his mind gradually couldn't keep up with what was going on around him. Suddenly darkness engulfed him.
Blood. Death. The sound of battle. The sound of grief. Children fighting. All that while he knelt there. Doing nothing. He was doing nothing. Again. He stood by as others died in his place. But this time… There was a reason… Wasn't there?
"I'm right aren't I? This pain… This sorrow… This is all justifiable… Right? As long as I don't step in… The paradox can be avoided?"
"Naruto… You foolish little pup… If I had known this is what would happen… I would have never…"
"Kurama? Is that you?"
Silence.
"Am I… Am I going mad?"
"Ha kid, you were mad a long time ago!"
"Jiraiya?"
Silence.
"Is some sort of punishment?"
"Maa, my cute little Naruto… You know better than anyone that it is."
"K-Kakashi… Why?"
Silence.
"What… What did I ever do? Is there some reason that I had to live through nine years of war?! Why did I have to watch everyone I ever cared for die?! WHY?!"
Silence… And then;
A figure, standing tall, his back seeming so broad and blindingly bright in the darkness. The spikey blonde hair atop his head fluttering around, almost like the red flames that hung on his cloak. The white cloak hung on his back, but it wasn't embroidered with what Kamen had been expecting.
Seventh Hokage.
"I don't… There wasn't ever a seventh Hokage… Wait… Wasn't I going to be the-"
Kamen was cut off as the figure turned around.
"That's right. I'm you Kamen. I'm Naruto."
Black eyes with a red iris stared into dark blue.
"I don't…"
"Oh, I think we do. We've done this before after all."
"The falls of truth."
A soft yet sharp smile crossed Naruto's lips.
"So, we still remember? We have a better memory than we give ourselves credit for."
Kamen stared up at himself, blinking several times.
"We?"
"Of course. We both know that we are one… And yet neither of us accepts it… Not anymore…"
"I don't-"
"It's funny. Our roles are reversed this time… Or rather it's sad… You don't even realise it though… Which makes it even sadder. You cast aside everything that makes Naruto, Naruto… Including his very name."
"I had to…"
"You had to? It's out of your hands? Nothing can be done? You sicken me. I hate the fact that you are me. Don't you remember when you fought Neji because he was caged by his idea of fate? When you stood up to Tsunade because she was wallowing in self-pity? When you faced down Sasuke because of his stubbornness? When you stood up for Jiraiya's beliefs in the face of Nagato?"
Kamen's gaze turned away from Naruto's figure, instead focusing in on the Darkness.
"I-… All of that was washed away by a tidal wave of blood."
Naruto's brightness didn't flicker in the cumbersome darkness, if anything it grew brighter as he sneered at Kamen.
"Washed away? What you are can't simply be washed away! Everyone who died for you, for the future to come… You don't care an ounce about them, do you?"
Rage welled up from within Kamen, a hatred so hot, one he hadn't felt for a long time. His eyes were bloodshot as his chakra coated fist lashed out towards the figure before him, flames of red chakra even brighter than Naruto's golden aura followed it. And yet the blonde Hokage dodged out of the way with ease and brought an open palm to clap against Kamen's face, like a giant swinging a fly swat.
Suddenly Kamen found himself back in the curry of life shop. Naruto was stood before him, his hand hanging in the air as if he had just struck something. The slight twinge of pain Kamen felt in his left cheek told him exactly what the young genin had struck.
The small blonde before him wasn't frowning but he wasn't smiling either, there was a sharp look in his eyes, and it was only when Kamen saw it that he realised how beaten up the young boy looked.
Kamen came to his senses, flashing a look around the curry of life shop. It had felt like only a few seconds had gone by and yet the store was a complete mess, tables and chairs strewn about the place with rubble and dust everywhere. The pot of curry Grandma Sancho had been working on was spilt over the floor and said woman along with her son and Shale were stood over the prone figures of Lee, Sakura and two Samurai, desperately trying to help them.
Kamen's gaze was suddenly pulled away by the sound of crackling lightning and fighting. His eyes fell upon three figures, Kakashi, Guy and the samurai with two swords.
The dark-haired time traveller barely caught Naruto as he collapsed into his arms. The veteran's well-trained ears could just about pick out the sound of fighting going on out back, which must have been where Sasuke was still fighting. A muffled voice reached his ears, the soft words coming from the blond jinchuriki in his arms, "K-Kamen-sensei… Why… Aren't you fighting? Are you all bark and no bite?"
The small blonde chuckled, causing him to cough slightly. From his singed jumpsuit, Kamen guessed he had tried to take on Raiga and got fried for the attempt.
It was strange. The way the blonde talked, it was as if he knew why Kamen wasn't acting, or at least he thought he knew why. Perhaps he was more perceptive than he himself gave him credit for, "The hero's… Always gotta save the day at the last second you know?"
And with that the young blonde fell into unconsciousness, but even as he slipped away Kamen could feel the chakra of the Kyuubi starting its process, healing the cuts and bruises faster than he could find them, "Grandma! Take care of the kid… I'm not a hero Naruto… But I can pretend... For you…"
Kamen stepped out of the shop, dark clouds hung in the sky as they rained down upon those below, thunder lighting up the darkness, "My eternal rival, this seems impossible… How can this man trick your sharingan while also being able to dodge my blows of eternal youth?!"
Kakashi didn't bother to answer, his breath ragged. Raiga had been in control of the fight from the very beginning. Kakashi imagined that this is what it might have felt like facing off against the third Raikage's ultimate shield. Raiga's thunder amour was impossible to get past and for some reason his sharingan was being tricked by something, as soon as he activated it, he couldn't even see the battlefield, let alone the enemy.
A sudden wave of chakra washed over the small clearing in front of the shop, and yet it wasn't coming from Raiga. Even the samurai could feel it, "Oh my, what is this? Has Sloth finally arrived? A little late don't you think, You filthy sinner?!"
Kakashi looked back at Kamen and couldn't help but blink dumbly at what he saw. Kamen was stood, his silver armour reflecting the light coming from Raiga's lightning, but the dark colour of his clothes and hair seemed to radiate and flicker like black flames, "Kamen?"
Before anyone could react said dark haired man disappeared from where he was and reappeared right in front of Raiga, a fist cocked back and ready to strike forwards. But the crazed ex-mist shinobi's armour wasn't for show, and neither were his swords. He ducked under the fist and brought both his misshapen swords together, slashing at Kamen's stomach, who dodged by a hair's breadth. Or at least he thought he had.
The veteran winced slightly as he lowered his hand to his stomach without his eyes leaving the enemy before him. He could feel the warm sensation of blood coating his hand, a bright red gash slashed across his belly, "HA! HAHAHA! It looks like sloth was a little too slow for my blades!"
Kamen squinted at the blades that Raiga was holding. It wasn't any wonder Kakashi was having trouble, the blades had been infused with chakra, that was obvious, what wasn't was that he had also created almost invisible blades of chakra which surrounded Kiba.
Undeterred by the damage he had received he began forming seals, and though Raiga wasn't going to just let him cast a jutsu, he was halted in his assault by Guy who lashed out with a brutal kick.
Raiga barely managed to block the attack with his forearm, but thanks to his thunder armour it didn't break. Guy on the other hand was having a hard time, barely being able to stay stood out of sheer will power. Each time he struck Raiga, he was hit with the backlash of being in contact with his thunder armour.
But Guy had bought Kamen just enough time to finish his jutsu, "Wind release: Vacuum blade!"
And with that Kamen held his hands out as though he were holding a katana with both hands, yet there was nothing there, "HAHAHA! Sloth! You really are the incarnation of Sloth! You can't even finish a single Jutsu you filthy Heathen!"
Kamen ignored the nonsense that the man before him was spouting, instead sharpening his mind on what was about to happen next. He could just about see the muscles in Raiga's legs tense underneath his thunder armour as he prepared to launch forwards.
Kamen breathed in and to those who were watching, it almost seemed as though Raiga was moving at a Snails pace compared to Kamen's swift movements as both dove towards each other.
Raiga dove forwards with a brutal jab, intent on turning Kamen into a kebab. However, the crazed man's eyes widened as his blades seemed to connect with something solid and most definitely not fleshy.
Kamen let his invisible blade slide along Raiga's until it reached the blades' thorns, at which point he brough the hilt of his see-through blade up so that its non-existent point was almost touching the ground. In one swift movement he brought the blade forwards, letting it slide along the side of Raiga's Kiba until it was inches away from the Kurosuki family leader's body, at which point he brought the blade upwards, intending to cut the black lipped man's right arm off.
Kamen's invisible blade cut through Raiga's thunder armour as though it were made of butter. The dark-haired man only just saved his arm by letting his body fall backwards before leaping away, an angry red gash left in the time traveller's wake.
Raiga's face was the picture of terror as his arm hung limply at his side, wide eyes turning back to look at Kamen, "YOU DARE HURT ONE OF THE CHOSEN?!"
Raiga's breath was ragged his eyes still wide and bloodshot, but Kamen stared him down without flinching, edging towards him slowly, his invisible katana pointed forwards. Kamen spotted Kakashi sneaking up on the missing nin a fraction too late to warn him as a shockwave of lightning erupted from the mist killer, flinging the white-haired shinobi back. Kamen only managing to hold his position by sticking his vacuum blade into the ground. The shockwave was swiftly followed by a tsunami of chakra filled mist which engulfed the entirety of the Curry of life shop and its surroundings, "KILL THE HEATHENS!"
Kamen closed his eyes, the whole world mapped itself out in his head as he let out pulses of chakra that worked as a sonar.
The dark-haired veteran was glad that Iruka had taught him the technique when he was still alive. Its effectiveness was slightly lessened by the chakra rich mist Raiga had set up, but he could still pick out the dozen people rushing towards him. Apparently Raiga had been holding some people back out of the range of Kamen's senses, most likely coincidentally.
"Secret Sword Art: Hitodama!"
Kamen's previously invisible sword suddenly began to melt into existence. Now held within the time traveller's grasp was a black katana which seemed to have bright red blood constantly running along its edge, each time the liquid splashed onto the ground it left behind scorch marks as black as the blade it came from.
A figure suddenly leapt towards him out of the mist, clawed gloves aimed at his head, but Kamen still held his eyes shut and therefore could feel the three others who were attacking him from different angles at the same time.
To anyone looking at the elegant swordsman it seemed as though he simply dragged the blade through the air in a single swipe, but in reality, it diverged and twisted, cutting each assailant's throat in an instant.
This time five Kurosuki family members attempted to impale the dark-haired man upon their claws only for their arms to be swiftly separated from their bodies.
Kakashi was fighting back to back with Guy, both struggling to hold off the number of enemies that were piling down upon them. Normally these weaklings would have been easy to handle, but the fact that they had been weakened by Raiga and that the sharingan was useless meant they were having a hard time of it.
The white-haired scarecrow hadn't noticed where the dual wielding samurai had disappeared to, but he didn't worry too much, she had seemed to hold her own even against Raiga so these goons probably wouldn't be life-threatening to her. Kamen on the other hand had him worried. The screams that were coming from his direction were sickening.
It was only when Guy and Kakashi heard the screaming finally stop that they spotted a bright red light approaching them through the mist. Before either could blink, Kamen was right before them. Said man spun around in a brutal circle, a red mist lagging behind his blade as he lashed out at the foes around him, his eyes still closed. As the brutal veteran came to a halt, the bodies of his enemies were the only things left in his wake.
"Come out Raiga! Your mist is useless, your arm is wounded, and all your minions are dead. Surrender now and I'll go easy on both you and the kid!"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow; unsure what Kamen was talking about. The silence seemed to stretch on until at last there was an answer as the mist slowly began to fade, "I don't know who you are… But it seems I made a mistake… You aren't sloth… No… YOU'RE WRATH!"
And like that Raiga came bursting out of what was left of the mist, swinging with both of his arms. Kamen barely managed to block in time, his body getting flung back by the brute strength of the double blow. Guy and Kakashi dodged out of the way of the flying veteran who dug his blade into the ground to slow down.
"That crazy bastard's using electricity to stimulate his nerve endings!"
Radiating dark blue eyes looked up towards their target, a sort of madness tainting them under the rage, "I gave you your chance Raiga. You can pass on to the next world knowing that Ranmaru will be looked after!"
And with that Kamen flew towards his target, the air pressure pushing his spiky hair back. The dark-haired swordsman brought his blade down in a large arc, slamming it into Raiga's crossed Kiba who's feet sunk into the ground at the pressure. To the crazed ex-anbu's credit he managed to push the heavy blow back, attempting to jab Kamen in the stomach only for the blades to be ruthlessly smashed to the side.
Guy was stood shaking slightly as he looked over to Kakashi. The white-haired man nodded with a slight frown, "You see it too, ne? This isn't a proper fight… Not like when Kamen first arrived… He's completely overwhelming his opponent…" 'Just how much has Kamen been holding back until now? Is this even his full strength? From what I've seen he only used one jutsu, even if his sword is different now, would it really make that much of a difference?'
"For him to make Raiga sink into the ground like that… The strength behind that kind of blow… It's…" "Terrifying?" "AWE INSPIRING! I MUST FIND OUT WHAT HIS TRAINING REGIME IS!"
Kakashi sweat dropped, so he hadn't been trembling out of fear but excitement? After all, it was Guy. The white haired man was pulled from his thoughts as he saw Kamen slice upwards, under Raiga's guard, catching him across the eye, "AAAAh! YOU FUCKING HEATHEN! I WAS CHOSEN BY GOD! YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME!"
Kamen had noticed the second he had laid eyes upon Raiga that there was something wrong. He was stronger than before and much more 'fanatic'. Sure enough, he was insane before but this time it was even worse, the time traveller barely understood half of what was coming out of his mouth.
Kamen took a deep breath as Raiga charged at him like a crazed bull. The blue-eyed veteran easily dodged to the side before bringing his blade forwards in a horizontal slash. The black and red blade carved its way into the missing nin's midsection, a horrid sizzling sound was accompanied by Raiga's screams, creating a symphony of dread.
"THEY LIED! HAHAHahah… haha… ha."
All the onlookers couldn't help but gaze on wordlessly at the brutal scene before them. The green grass and brown tree trunks were stained bright red and singed dark black in several places, the smell of blood, ozone and burnt flesh invading the clearing.
Kamen's breath was slow but ragged, his form rising and falling visibly as he struggled to stay awake. Suddenly the blade that he had been using as a crutch dissipated, turning into a black and red mist that gradually disappeared into the wind.
The sound of his knees thudding against the ground was the last thing Kamen heard as he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
That's the end of this chapter.
I'm about as dead tired as Kamen right now X_X… Ten thousand words and eighteen pages. I don't think I've ever written such a long, complicated, pain in the rear chapter.
I'm sorry it took so long everyone, and I hope that during these distressing times everyone is safe and at home, just as I am. Though surviving off canned beans and tomato soup is good and all, it doesn't feed the brain that much, so I think I'm gonna have to brave the elements and the inconsiderate soon enough!
Either way I hope you enjoyed, tell me what you think about the new Theme music section of the chapter. I think I'll keep it up if I find any songs that fit well with a chapter.
Anyways, I didn't keep my promise about the romance for this chapter, but I hope my delivery of the action is to your satisfaction. Next chapter is going to be a 50-follower special which contains a bit of both. It'll diverge a little from the plot and let me freshen up my ideas, but it'll be worth it… Trust me, I'm a fanfiction writer!